20081222

Holiday Season

by Kim Tairi

From the moment Marion walked into the room, Kevin’s pulse raced... then his eyes began to water, his nose began to run and his oesophagus and tongue began to swell; if she didn’t leave within the next minute he would be dead. He fell to the ground, flailing around, simultaneously she rushed over to him with terror written all over her face. Her very proximity was making it worse, much worse, he struggled to get the words out... “G..g...get out now, you’re killing me!” Kevin blacked out, the paramedics couldn’t revive him; shattered Marion stood in shocked silence. An allergic reaction they told her, something about her perfume and Kevin not being able to get to his epinephrine injector. She’d been on her way to ask him to her staff Christmas party, neither of them would be going now.